Fergie and Josh Duhamel Announce Decision to Separate

Actor Josh Duhamel and singer Fergie celebrated their eighth wedding anniversary in January, but alas, it looks like it was their last one. The couple announced in a joint statement Thursday that they made the decision to separate earlier this year.

"With absolute love and respect we decided to separate as a couple earlier this year," they said, according to EW. "To give our family the best opportunity to adjust, we wanted to keep this a private matter before sharing it with the public. We are and will always be united in our support of each other and our family."

The two first met in 2004 when Fergie and the Black-Eyed Peas had a cameo appearance in Duhamel's show "Las Vegas." It was a bit of an awkward start, as the actor said in a 2007 interview with People magazine, because his first words were simply, "You're hot," in what he described as "a desperate voice." Still, they began dating, got engaged in 2007, and then married in 2009. They have one son together.

News of their separation comes just before the release of Fergie's upcoming album, "Double Dutchess." Due out Sept. 22, it is her first solo album in 11 years. Who knows -- maybe it will offer some insight into what happened.